Diminutive Disguises
The Graceful Decorator Crab (Oregonia
gracilis) is a species of decapod mostly inhabiting the
tidal waters of the northern Pacific Ocean.
This crab, however, carries with it a unique ability
specifically adapted to help it survive in some of the most
extreme environments on earth; the capacity to camouflage
itself. Living in
cold regions of the ocean, food is plentiful bringing in large
amounts of predators making this skill even more essential.
This crab is just one of a variety of
spider decorator
crabs, named such for their remarkable likeness to spiders.
Although not the only crab to decorate itself, it is the
creator of some of the most lavish and extravagant disguises in
the animal kingdom.
Living mostly off of small scraps from the murky
seafloor, these crabs usually only growing to about 2 inches in
size and are hardly the type of crab you would expect to find on
your dinner plate at home.
But what this small arthropod lacks in size, it makes up
for in cunning. If
the ingenuity behind its camouflage was impressive, the way that
it has been witnessed using other organisms as effective tools
to ward off predators is simply extraordinary.
Even as a miniscule creature far from the top of the food
chain, this fantastic creature continues to fascinate scientists
and curious onlookers alike.
If you want to learn more about fascinating organisms check out MultipleOrganisms.net.